David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Liam Dennehy is 13 years old and is from Fossa in County Kerry. Just over one year ago his spine started to shift. On his first X-ray Liam's spine was at 35°. By November it was at 85°. It was evident then that he needed surgery urgently. Five months later not only has he not received his surgery he has not even received a date for surgery. His mam, Pamela, has described his condition as "horrendous, just pain, just constant pain". The pain is affecting Liam's ability to eat and be fed. He cannot leave hospital because he might need medical assistance at any moment from choking episodes caused by his scoliosis. If he is left much longer he may become inoperable or so malnourished that he will not be fit for surgery. Liam needs that surgery today not in four months, not in four weeks, not in four days but today. Will the Taoiseach tell this House and Liam's family when Liam will get his surgery and what more can be done to support children with scoliosis?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cullinane for raising this matter and bringing Liam's case to my attention. Deputy Healy-Rae also wrote to me on this issue today about Liam. I thank both Deputies for highlighting the case. I have contacted the office of the Minister for Health to seek a direct update for the Deputy. As the Deputy will be aware it is not within my gift to make commitments around clinical appointments on the floor of the Dáil but it is right and proper that the Deputy raised it with me and it is right and proper that I get an update for the Deputy.

The Deputy also asked quite rightly what more we can do around investing and supporting the provision of children spinal services. I did talk with the Deputy about this in this House last week and about the fact that a clinical lead Mr. David Moore had been appointed by the Minister for Health. Since Mr. Moore's appointment I understand that the Minister has allocated further funding of €1.34 million to enhance spinal services in Children's Health Ireland, CHI, following a request from Mr. Moore. That is just a direct answer to the issue the Deputy raised last week.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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I was delighted to hear in the Taoiseach's maiden speech that he would "ensure a step change in how we care for our elderly". As the Taoiseach is aware, this is completely at odds with the decision of the HSE to annex the new 50-bed nursing home unit in Nenagh which was built because the St. Conlon's community nursing unit was effectively condemned by HIQA and has to be closed. I am aware of all the issues at University Hospital Limerick. I have probably raised that issue more than any other issue in my career in here but two wrongs do not make a right. On my last count more than 40 people, some of whom are stuck in acute beds, cannot get nursing home care because private nursing homes will not take them. This new unit was built to be a nursing home. It should be opened as a nursing home. The people of Nenagh and its surrounds are going out on the streets on 11 May to protest at this. The unions are completely opposed to the privatisation of this. This is completely and utterly wrong. I ask the Taoiseach to please honour what he said in his maiden speech and ensure step change for the elderly and for the people around north Tipperary as well.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Kelly for raising this issue. I do want to see a step change in how we care for older people. The Commission on Care for Older People the Government has set up is a really important step in that. I thank the Deputy for raising this specific issue regarding Nenagh and the point he makes about the unintended consequences if older people are not able to access a community facility - where else do they end up? - and the impact this can have on the health service. There is a logic in the point the Deputy made. I certainly hope that between now and 11 May there can be proper and decent engagement on this so the people of Nenagh feel heard and that their concerns can be addressed. I will certainly ask the Minister for Health and the HSE to engage directly with the Deputy and other north Tipperary representatives.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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The Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities completed a review into local government last October. I raised this issue in November and have raised it in parliamentary questions subsequently. The report was scathing. It found, not surprisingly, that Ireland has the most centralised system of local decision making and referred to the balance of power between the Executive and reserved functions at local authority level. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, who was taking questions that day said that this Government believes in local democracy, in empowering our local councils and giving them as much power as possible. Nothing substantial has really been done apart from the legislation for the directly elected mayor in Limerick, which I welcome. The substantive issue, however, has not been addressed. Is the Government responding to this report or is it merely going on the shelf?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I certainly hope we intend to respond to the report. I will familiarise myself with the points the Deputy made, which she has raised before but which have just come to my attention here. I will certainly familiarise myself with that. I would point to some steps we have taken. As the Deputy has acknowledged, the directly elected mayor Limerick is a not insignificant step, which the Deputy has welcomed. We did offer that to other parts of the country too. That is an important election and an important example of expanding the powers of directly elected people in local government. The property tax has given real revenue-raising powers in the real decisions to be made. Councillors have those decisions around property tax and its revenue every year - to go up, to go down or whatever else - in a way that we certainly did not when I was a member of Wicklow County Council.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The International Court of Justice, ICJ, concluded earlier this year that Israel was plausibly committing genocide against the people of Gaza. Yesterday the Government of the United States of America made a decision to give €13 billion to a State that is plausibly - and in my opinion undoubtedly - guilty of genocide. Thousands more people have died since the ICJ ruling. Does the Taoiseach believe it is appropriate that the United States of America should, in effect, reward Israel for genocide? In the context where they are blatantly arming and supporting Israel to continue that genocide does the Taoiseach believe they should continue to have the use of airport facilities in this country at Shannon Airport while they are complicit with that genocide?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is not for me to tell any other sovereign parliament or congress how they should spend their taxpayers' money. The position of the Irish Government is crystal clear on the need for an immediate cessation of violence in the Middle East. Ireland has been one of the first countries to call for a ceasefire. At a European level we are pursuing the association agreement. I also raised this with President von der Leyen and at the European Council last week. The Tánaiste is in the region this week. We continue to articulate our position and we articulated this at every opportunity we get including with the United States. I did so when I met former Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week in Government Buildings. Ireland's position is very clear; we need an immediate cessation of violence; we need humanitarian aid to not just flow but for the access to be unimpeded; and we need a two-State solution. I believe we need to recognise the state of Palestine.

Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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Many people are struggling to pay their bills. The fuel allowance provides vital support for so many households across the nation and especially for older people and those with chronic pain. To qualify for fuel allowance one must live alone or with a spouse, in a civil partnership, or with a cohabitant who qualifies the person for an increase in his or her pension or social welfare. For a couple with a qualified adult under 66 the assessable income is €642 and for other couples it is €703.10. I have a case of a retired couple, one of whom is 66, and his wife is not receiving a State pension. Because she is not receiving a State pension she is not entitled to get the fuel allowance. Will the Taoiseach collaborate with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Heather Humphreys, to get this sorted out? People cannot afford to pay their bills. These people come under the income threshold and should be entitled to fuel allowance. Will the Taoiseach please collaborate with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Heather Humphreys?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick for raising this issue. The whole issue of energy poverty is one we must take seriously. The energy credits are being paid right now in this billing cycle. In fairness to my colleague the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, we have made a number of improvements and expansions to the fuel allowance scheme, and I am aware the Deputy would have been supportive of that. I am sure the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, would be eager to do more in that space. I will certainly ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly on the case he has raised and also that we would reflect on his point as we approach the next budget for how we can do more on the fuel allowance.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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In a reply to a question in the House last week the Taoiseach told me there was now a net outflow of Ukrainians from State accommodation. At the same time we find in Clonmel that the Department of Education is putting in 82 modular homes for Ukrainians in Haywood Road. This is without any information whatsoever being provided to me as a directly elected Member and with very little information to anybody else.

There is no public consultation or engagement. What is going on in that Department? We are told all the time that there will be better explanations and engagement but there has been none. It has refused to meet and we have been told nothing. Any information I have is from FOI requests. A case has been taken against Sean Meehan for building a modular home on his own land. He is before the courts facing jail. Why are we are continuing to erect these modular homes and other buildings under emergency powers if there is net outflow of Ukrainian people? It is not adding up. The people of Clonmel and other areas are very concerned because there has been no engagement. I have nothing against Ukrainians but there has been no engagement.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The figures I gave the Deputy last week are correct. Of course, they can change but, roughly speaking, on a daily basis, around 15 people from Ukraine seek access to State accommodation and, roughly speaking, around 45 leave State accommodation. That is roughly the ratio. That obviously averages out over the course of a week. I am very supportive of the work of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the work this country is doing regarding supporting people from Ukraine but I do obviously believe engagement is very important and I would be disappointed if there has not been any. I will follow that up directly with the Minister.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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The Minister for housing and the National Standards Authority of Ireland continue to say that there is no evidence that pyrrhotite is the cause of defective blocks in Donegal, not mica as it had been attributed to. In a response to an FOI request submitted by defective blocks campaigning groups in Donegal, it turns out that the Geological Survey of Ireland has, since December last, recognised pyrrhotite and says it is clear from the independent work done by each research partner that internal sulphate attack as a result of excessive pyrrhotite is the primary cause of the most serious damage seen within the affected properties across Donegal. This is from studies carried out by RSK, Petrolab and the Ulster University consortium, yet the Department does not acknowledge this and allows families to continue to be approved for partial remediation. Will the Taoiseach instruct the Department to use the up-to-date science when operating this scheme so that homeowners can get a result they can have faith in and have their homes repaired so they do not need to be examined again?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Pringle for bringing this issue to my attention. I know the huge stress and strain this issue has caused so many families in the Deputy's county and others. I will look specifically into the information the Deputy brought to my attention and engage with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, who will revert to the Deputy.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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RTÉ workers are protesting outside the gates of Leinster House this lunchtime over the issue of bogus self-employment. This is an issue I have raised with the Taoiseach and here in the Chamber on a number of occasions. A total of 396 workers were let go by RTÉ after the Eversheds review. Based on the figures provided to me here last week by the Taoiseach, 297 of those workers would have been employees at the time they were dismissed. What steps is the Government taking to redress the rights of those employees? This matter has been going on for a long time but does not seem to be getting the attention it deserves in terms of the injustice done to these people and to the many hundreds of other workers at RTÉ who have fallen victim to bogus self-employment and who are now fighting without getting results relating to their rights and what should be rightfully theirs under the law.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy suggests, I always want to differentiate between RTÉ and RTÉ staff when we discuss the issue because what happened in RTÉ let the public down and caused a real crisis of confidence in the organisation. The staff of RTÉ have been put through the ringer. They have done nothing wrong and should be supported. All of us - RTÉ management, the governing authority and the Government - share a view regarding getting RTÉ back to where it needs to be. The Deputy is right to say that in late 2020, the Department of Social Protection, through its Scope section, commenced a review into PRSI classification of RTÉ contractors. RTÉ provided the Department with a list of 695 workers engaged on a contract basis in 2018, 2019 and 2020. These formed the basis of the investigation. More than 160 investigations have been progressed with formal decisions made in 138 of the cases. Ninety-three of these were determined to have an employee status, in other words, Class A, while 45 were self-employed Class S. I will not have time to go through my figures but I will come to the Deputy in writing on the rest of it.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I again raise a long-term and ongoing issue at Heilbhic Pier in Gaeltacht na nDéise just outside Dungarvan. For a number of days each month when the tide is at its lowest, the RNLI boat cannot launch. It cannot exit the slipway. The harbour is silted up. I have been around the houses on this. It has been a case of pass the parcel. I have put questions to the Department of agriculture, which has directed me to the Department of housing. I get kicked on to the local authority. I do not much care who solves this issue but I want it to be solved before somebody makes that call to the RNLI and the RNLI does not respond on time because it cannot get access and somebody loses his or her life. Will the Taoiseach knock heads together so we get a solution? I do not much mind who solves it but I want it solved.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I think the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, will knock heads together.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I undertake to work with the Deputy to see who is responsible. I am not sure if the OPW is involved. The Deputy wants a resolution and I will work with him in that regard. We may have some involvement but regardless of that, I will work with the Deputy on behalf of the Taoiseach and Government to find a resolution.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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My colleague Deputy Carthy and I have consistently raised the issue of the very limited provision of respite in our constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has committed to looking at an additional house for children in Monaghan and I hope she will proceed with that very soon. It has been brought to my attention by a parent that Steadfast House in Carrickmacross in County Monaghan, which provides respite on three weeks out of four, cannot provide it on the fourth week due to lack of funding. This is a centre that already provides respite to adults - it is adults only - and could provide additional respite for one week extra in every month if it was given the resources. Will the Taoiseach commit resources to Steadfast House in Carrickmacross to provide respite?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Tully for raising this issue. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, was in Cavan-Monaghan recently meeting with public representatives, including, I am sure, Deputy Tully and a number of groups. I know she is looking into respite provision in Cavan-Monaghan. I will certainly bring the Deputy's proposal around Carrickmacross and the ability to be able to do more in Steadfast House such as an extra week or month to the Minister of State's attention.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I share and note the Taoiseach's concern articulated earlier in the week about protests outside the homes of politicians. The Taoiseach would have had no notice from me of the issue I wish to raise so I will happily to wait for a detailed written answer. What is the legal position about the wearing of masks and balaclavas at protests? Is there a legal position on it? Is it legal? How does the Taoiseach view it? Is the Government minded to look at that? I cannot think of any good reason aside from a pandemic why someone would want to cover his or her face in a public protest or place.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am exploring this issue. I get to the same point as the Deputy but from a slightly different perspective. If the view of society is that people should not be able to turn up masked outside people's homes - anybody's home - in this country, we need to know a very simple answer as legislators. Is that legal now? If it is, let us fix it and change the law. If it is not legal, why is it not being stopped? I have asked the Minister for Justice to come back to me on that.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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For those who died in the Stardust disaster and their families, yesterday's apology was welcome but was 43 years too late. I ask the Taoiseach and his Government to think of the 50 people who died so horrifically on Whiddy Island on 18 January 1979. Forty-five years, three months and 14 days ago, these victims went to work at the offshore jetty off Whiddy Island in Bantry Bay where they were left without rescue to die for an inordinate period before the ship exploded. In 2021, RTÉ's documentary "Fire In The Sky" told the story of what happened at Whiddy Island that night. Even then after RTÉ news coverage, the Taoiseach's predecessors, Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin, and other Ministers failed to meet the families following repeated requests and shied away from making comments, even when former President Mary McAleese called for a State apology. It is now urgent that the Whiddy Island inquest be reconvened to established the real truth about how 50 people died. The families of those who died in the Whiddy Island disaster are like the Stardust families, are equally as steadfast in their pursuit of justice and are not going away. Will the Taoiseach meet with the Whiddy Island disaster families to at least acknowledge their suffering?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I certainly acknowledge their suffering and I think of them, the 50 people who died and the 23 bodies that were never recovered. I received correspondence yesterday about this matter. I have it here in my hand and want to give that due consideration. My understanding, and it is an initial understanding because I need to be properly briefed on this, is that the Attorney General was asked to look into some matters pertaining to this. I certainly intend to talk to the Attorney General about the matter and am happy to revert to the House.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise the case of my 19-year-old constituent Seán, who has ADHD, ASD, depression and an anxiety disorder. He has aged out of CAMHS and his family is cut adrift.

After a recent suicide attempt and a 999 call, he spent a night in the Lakeview unit attached to Naas General Hospital, in a padded room in the dark. Seán is terrified of the dark. He left Naas General Hospital with no follow-up. In this unbelievable but common enough situation, mental health services say they cannot treat him because of his ASD diagnosis, and autism services say they cannot treat him because of his mental health diagnosis. Seán is not a diagnosis or a list of symptoms; he is a citizen of this State. There is no rest and no sleep for his family. His mother is out driving the back roads of Kildare, trying not to hit another deer and trying to keep Sean calm. I have been in contact with the HSE since last October about Seán to no avail. Is there anything the Taoiseach can do for him and all the others who are also falling between these stools that are holding up our health service?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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First, and more broadly, this whole issue of dual diagnosis is an area where there is a need for real progress. The Deputy is right that people are not just a diagnosis or a number of diagnoses; they are people. We had a brief discussion about this at the Cabinet committee on disability last week and I will be following up on that. More specifically with regard to Seán, I am, of course, eager to use my offices to assist. If the Deputy could correspond with me directly, I will talk to her about this and come back to her.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Department has given funding for transport to address the fodder crisis which has put farmers under pressure. We need to do more. We need to come up with a voucher scheme because farmers, certainly those in the north west who are on marginal land, are really feeling the pain and we need to assist them as quickly as possible.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am happy that we have a number of hours in the House this afternoon for statements on weather-related supports for farmers throughout the country. I am mindful of the desperate plight of farmers during a very difficult winter and spring. The initial fodder support we have put in place through our co-operative system is to support the movement of fodder that is in the country from areas where there is more to areas where there is less to make sure that all can manage. As the weather improves, we will continue to monitor the sector and all areas of agriculture, not just livestock but also the tillage sector, which is also struggling. We will discuss that in more detail this afternoon. I take Deputy Feighan’s points on board and will bring them back to the Department.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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On Saturday, the people of Tallaght came onto the streets to protest and demand that our post office be saved. More than 1,500 people have signed a petition either online or in person. From talking to people there, those who use the post office at The Square regularly are devastated at the prospect of losing a post office where they get a wonderful service from the workers. The post office will be closed and replaced by a smaller post office in a different location, with fewer staff, counters and services. It is a victim of the privatisation agenda and there are other victims of this round of privatisation at Rathmines, Phibsborough, New Ross, Roscommon and Tipperary, and there are similar protest movements in all of those places. So far, when asked about this, the Government has always said this is a commercial decision for An Post. Frankly, that is not good enough. The Government needs to have a position. Does it support this privatisation agenda? Does it support people being threatened with losing their postal services or does it oppose it?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We briefly discussed this matter last week in the Dáil and I committed to coming back to the Deputy on it. If my office has not done so, we will come back to him very shortly on it. The Government has shown huge support to An Post and the post office network. We have taken every opportunity to put new services into the post office, reflecting the changing world we live in and trying to support the sustainability of the post office. That is the position of the Government. Individual post offices are a matter for An Post as a semi-State body, but I will come back to the Deputy directly on the issue.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I respectfully ask the Taoiseach to do something urgently for Liam Dennehy Quinn of Crohane, Killarney, who is 13 years old. He is waiting for a scoliosis operation in Crumlin children's hospital and is in terrible pain. The curvature of his spine has worsened so much that he will now need two surgeries rather than one. The curvature has gone from 35° to 92°. I will give the Taoiseach the picture and the story before I leave here. I will put it on the Taoiseach's desk. Liam has terrible reflux and has difficulty eating. He is in danger of malnutrition because he cannot take food. He has not been able to go to school since last December. He also needs a medical night nurse but this has not been scheduled yet. It will not prevent the pain but would be of great help to his mother, Pamela.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Thank you. The time is up.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Just one second. This child is in terrible pain and he needs to have the procedure scheduled without delay. There is his father, Stephen, his mother, Pamela, and his grandmother, Mary Dennehy, whose brother has worked for me for more than 40 years. This is very close to me and to my home because they are practically family.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Thank you. We will ask the Taoiseach for a response.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am asking the Taoiseach to deal with this urgently. As Taoiseach of Ireland, I respectfully ask him to do that.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for writing to me on this matter this morning, and I thank Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. As I said, I have asked the Minister for Health to specifically seek an update on Liam's situation from the health service and I will come back to the Deputy via the Minister for Health. We will also follow up specifically in regard to the night nursing hours. I thank the Deputy for raising this. It must be a very distressing situation.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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The Government is proceeding with the Gambling Regulation Bill and it is due to pass through the House later today. Essentially, the difficulty is that it prohibits charities and sports clubs from advertising their draws and other vital fundraising initiatives if they have a prize fund in excess of €10,000. I am referring to organisations such as North West Hospice, which runs Ocean FM radio bingo, and Limerick Camogie, which is advertising a draw with a prize of a car that has a value greater than €10,000. In my own constituency, various GAA clubs have lottos and often have prize money above that amount. Indeed, St. Mary's GAA in Carrick-on-Shannon is planning to raffle a house this year as part of its fundraising activities. The Government has refused to listen so far to the charities and voluntary organisations, many of which do vital work and provide the type of services we have heard raised in the House, such as services for people with disabilities. The Government legislation, if it goes through, will seriously curtail the fundraising activities of these organisations. Sinn Féin has put down an amendment to deal with this. Will the Government back that amendment to ensure they can continue to fundraise as they currently do?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am very proud of the gambling legislation that the Government is bringing forward. Gambling has had a significantly corrosive impact on many families and communities that are impacted by it. I also do not want the Bill to have unintended consequences, whether for charities or areas like the horse racing industry. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, have brought forward a number of amendments to try to address the issues for charities. We will be happy to debate and consider all amendments later. I would point out that I imagine there will be further amendments to come as this Bill moves into the other House.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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We often hear there is a shortage of gardaí. It seems the recruitment process takes an inordinate amount of time, and I will give an example. People first have to apply, then there is an aptitude test, that is followed by a scenario test, followed by an interview online, followed by a fitness test, which is followed by two interviews with members of An Garda Síochána. All of that can take over a year. Is there anything that can be done to telescope that so we can recruit? It is not fair to have people in suspense for over a year as to whether they are going to get an offer from An Garda Síochána. Is there any way we can telescope that so it would be a more streamlined operation?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is a very constructive suggestion from Deputy Ó Cuív and I thank him for it. We have to look at that while, as the Deputy rightly suggests, we maintain standards as well. Each of the processes is important, such as fitness and vetting, and no one is disputing any of that. However, is there a more efficient way of moving through this, particularly at a time when we need more gardaí? There are quite a lot of people expressing an interest in becoming a garda and I know my colleague, the Minister for Justice, is working on this.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I raise the commitment in the programme for Government with regard to improving primary care services. There is a chronic shortage of GPs in Laois and Offaly. There are 37 practising GPs in Laois, which is one for every 2,483 of the population. Five have resigned in the past two years and four have retired, which is a loss of nine. In Offaly, there are just 31 practising GPs, which breaks down to 2,683 of the population to each GP, and there has been a loss of four in the past two years. The IMO recommends that it should be one GP for every 833 of population, but it is generally accepted that it should be approximately 1,000 per GP. We can see that in both of those counties, there is more than 2.5 times the number of people per GP than there should be. It is becoming a real problem, especially in rural but also in urban areas. It is taking weeks to get appointments and it is difficult to get enrolled with a GP or get accepted at a practice. The result is that people are clogging up emergency departments because that is where they are going for GP services.

We need to train, recruit and retain more.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I do agree.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Take it up with the Minister for Health.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I do not have note in front of me but I will take up the Minister for Health. We are increasing GP training places and I accept there is more we need to do. I will come back to the Deputy on it.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Harvey Sherrat has been on the urgent list for a scoliosis procedure more than two years now. The Taoiseach's broken promise, that no child would have to wait for more than four months for such a procedure, amounts to a betrayal of Harvey and his family. In recent days, Harvey's mother was shocked to see an image of her son online, accompanied by a racist post saying that resources are being allocated to immigrants while children like Harvey languish on waiting lists. To her credit, Harvey's mother replied to the post and dismantled the racist arguments. For her efforts, she was bombarded with hostile messages. For example, one message said, "You would rather let your son go without treatment than risk calling out unchecked immigration, crippling Ireland's welfare system". She was also called a "treacherous whore". The vile messages only got worse when Gript did an opinion piece on the issue. Does the Taoiseach feel any shame that his broken promise is not only negatively affecting Harvey, his family and many other children and families but is now also providing ammunition for racists and their vile politics of hate?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should be ashamed for trying to correlate or link any of them in any way shape or form to me. Linking me to disgusting, vile, racist posts is quite a disgusting thing to do. I thought the Deputy was better than that, but maybe not. The reality of the situation is that my commitment to scoliosis treatment has seen more people get their surgeries carried out in this country. The Minister for Health's commitment has seen a clinical lead appointed. We all call out racism. We should be united on that and we should not use it for cheap political potshots.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach in advance because I am raising the case of Liam Dennehy Quinn, who is 13 years of age from Fossa, Killarney, County Kerry. His mother is Pamela Dennehy. I have written to the Taoiseach about this. Liam is waiting to be seen in Crumlin children's hospital. He has severe scoliosis, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, dystonia and a rare metabolic disorder. He urgently needs surgery in Crumlin under Dr. Pat Kiely. Pre-op was done in the first week of February 2024 in Temple Street hospital. He has been in University Hospital Kerry for 17 days. He is in aggressive, rapid and chronic pain. Liam is really unwell. He is not tolerating a full meal. His eating is affected to the point that he has become catabolic. When he lies down in bed, he starts coughing and cannot catch his breath. His scoliosis is to the left and is clearly having a serious impact on his tummy, on his digestive system and then on his oesophagus. He is again becoming medically unwell. I am asking the Taoiseach to do everything he can to help. I am not actually asking for help today; I am begging a new Taoiseach in a new job to take a special interest in Liam Dennehy Quinn to try to assist in him getting his urgent operation.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. . As I said to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, I take this issue very seriously. I thank the Deputy for his correspondence on Liam's situation. I can only imagine how distressing it is for Liam and his parents. I have been in contact with the Minister for Health on the issue and I have asked the Minister to reply directly to the Deputy on it.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That concludes Questions on Policy or Legislation. It is not my job to tell people what they can or cannot ask during Questions on Policy or Legislation. We are all acutely aware of the dreadful suffering of the families of children with scoliosis and more so the suffering of the poor unfortunate children themselves. However, rehashing every medical emergency in the country and bringing them in here day after day and asking people to deal with individual cases is not really what the Dáil Chamber is about . We need to expect that the HSE and health systems work. It does not matter who the Taoiseach is, they cannot be held personally accountable for every individual case.